Christian Calcatelli

YOU ARE BEING REDIRECTED TO MY NEW WEBSITE

2011-08-14T10:48:00.002+02:00

In two seconds you'll read my blog on my new website. If you were looking for a specific post, use the search box to find it! Voila'!

Why killing elephants is another Reason to drop Godaddy

2011-03-31T13:51:00.005+02:00

I've had "Drop GoDaddy" on my 'to-do' list for quite some time. Too many problems, too many system setups that defy human logic (& I'm quite proficient at this stuff!), a dashboard that's nuclear-scientist-friendly...

Now I'll add to that Bob Parsons (GoDaddy's founder) bragging about his happy times in Zimbabwe killing animals and (in my opinion) making fun of the local populace.

In the video (it's a little graphic since it shows a dead elephant so watch it only if you want to here) Mr. Godaddy says his finest day was spent killing an evil elephant (evil because it destroyed the people's harvest). A further montage shows locals pouring over the carcass for meat; the rock music soundtrack gives me an impression of poking fun at a bunch of people who are gathering food. Bad taste, methinks...

Eco-friendly Twitterer Oreeko, raises an interesting question in their latest tweet:

"Killing elephants to save humans? Which is right or wrong?"

My viewpoint is simple: if the locals take an elephant down because it's destroying their crops and they use it for food, it's their business. Not some fat millionaire's killing-spree adventure made for the fun of it.

Also, even if this killing were necessary to preserve crops and therefore human life, boasting & bragging about it is what is truly wrong. Nothing quite like giving people ideas on how fun it is to kill an animal.

I'm switching tomorrow at the latest. I don't care if my site goes down in the process for a few days. A bragging killer doesn't deserve my business.

And don't get me wrong - I love animals but I'm not a fanatic animal extremist. I just hate people who brag about improper actions they take. What do you think?

BROKEN PIANIST - AN APPLE GARAGEBAND COMPOSITION

2011-03-02T18:08:00.004+01:00

So how does a composer play the piano when it's one floor up and they're stuck in bed with a broken hip? (i.e. me!).

Easy! Fire up your Mac and launch Garageband, Apple's music-making program. It has the ideal feature for broken pianists, called "musical typing".

Essentially, it allows you to play your computer's keyboard like a piano. I loaded up a celesta sound and composed & performed the track "Broken Pianist". Check it out & tell me what you think!

NEW CD RECORDING POSTPONED DUE TO ACCIDENT

2010-12-17T12:09:00.004+01:00

Hi to all,

If you've read some of my recent posts or are following me on Facebook, you'll know that I had an accident and am stuck in bed for the next two months without the ability to move.

The accident happened in Dubai airport while en route to Auckland, New Zealand. That's where I was supposed to put the finishing touches to the project and record it.

The CD has been long overdue so I was really looking forward to getting it out there for you. The music will be explosive, dynamic, energizing and inspiring. A little different from the "very relaxing" you may have come to know. I'm proud to have found my "sound" and honestly look forward to letting you hear it.

Here are some of the titles:

"The choice to fight"
"PLAY"
"Eternal city"
"Ancient Tale"
"Pensiero, Azione" (Thought, Action)
"Monochrome"
"Earth"
"Winter skies"

and several more.

Well, I hope you at least like the titles! :)

I'm trying to set myself up with a mini keyboard and get you some new orchestral music. In fact, on my Facebook page you can even suggest some titles and I'll put them to music.

Take care for now & thanks for your support!

Christian

ANATOMY OF A DISASTER - it all adds up...

2010-12-12T13:12:00.022+01:00

Every second of our life is a consequence of the choices we make, the things we do and also the things we don't do.

While en route to Auckland, NZ to - among other things - record my new CD, what was to be a 5 hour layover in Dubai, UAE into an ordeal, ending in a fractured right hip and micro fractures on the left hip. Here is a summary of all the actions that led to that moment. I cannot but wonder if anyone of these steps would have taken a little less (or a little more) how things would have been different.

(The time-stamp is purely indicative and does not represent the exact time this all happened)

5:05 - Emirates flight 96 from Rome lands on schedule in Dubai
5:15 - The Boing 777 docks to the gate; we let everyone get out before us because we're in no rush - we have about 5 hours to spare in Dubai.
5:30 - We come out of the plane with our carry-ons and start the long walk to the main terminal.
5:55 - We have to go through a security check to access the departure area. The line seems to be moving fast.
6:09 - The security agent was eager to finish his duty and didn't request us to remove our laptops from our bags. I was traveling with a heavy music computer in my carryon, the amazing Muse Receptor. At the Rome security checkpoint I had to remove it out of the bag for screening as if it were a weapon. Not in Dubai. Minutes saved!
6:13 - We're thru! Welcome to the Dubai International.
6:20 - We start walking towards our departure gate 232 and check out the myriads of shops.
6:29 - Stopped at an electronics store - found a Nikon D3100 on sale. Let's think about it.
6:31 - We get stopped by a sales person with an iPod in hand advertising a hip place to eat open 24/7. Nice but... no thanks! Only want a simple breakfast for now!
6:39 - Spotted the first Starbucks! We're ready to attack it when we see that it's small and crammed. Hmm... Let's wait a little.
6:44 - We find these super cool chairs - you can sit and actually extend your legs - really cool! Plus there's free wi-fi!
6:51 - Comparing prices for the Nikon D3100. Bestbuy.com has it discounted 50% with its Black Friday deal. No way!
6:59 - Mind made up: we're not buying the camera in Dubai!
7:08 - While heading back to Starbucks, we find a local cafe' that has some really nice chairs and the same menu. We order two cappuccinos and two butter croissants. The cashier tells us to wait at the table...
7:29 - Breakfast finally arrives! Delicious! We start chatting and fantasize about how cool it would be to travel business class to NZ. I promise Susie that someday we will.
8:11 - Breakfast is over. We start heading 'con calma' towards our departure gate.
8:25 - We arrive at the gate, pull out our laptops and start checking our email.
8:47 - Boarding soon! I decide to go to the restroom and buy a bottle of water for the flight.
8:48 - The restroom near the gate is crowded with people - no thanks!
8:51 - Can't find water anywhere. I keep on walking and find another bathroom brimming with people. Nope! I decide to leave it all for the plane! :)
8:54 - Walking back to the gate, I see that the first restroom I passed has now less people. Let's give it a try...
8:56 - Entered the restroom
8:58 - Opening the door to come out.
8:58 - My right foot lays on a wet surface
8:58 - I fly for a few nanoseconds, landing on my hip. As I lay there unable to move, the cleaner is in front of me, mop in hands, starring at me in terror.
10:10 - Emirates flight # to Auckland, NZ takes off. We're just not on it.

From here on we'll spend a full day in the ER ultimately being erroneously diagnosed with a hip contusion. Only four days later, after a bunch of medical exams and fights (no one made our life easier in this ordeal) will we find out that the right hip is fractured and the left has a few microfractures.

Two days after that (for a total of a full week later) I keep my promise to my wife that "someday" we'll be flying business. It's just the wrong situation and destination: on a plane in pain headed back to Rome, where two months of strict bed time await me.

CONCLUSION
My brain delights in thinking about our "sliding doors" situation. How would things have gone differently if any one of those 20-some individual actions were different?

- What if our breakfast didn't take so long to be served? It was just 2 cappuccinos after all!
- What if we joined the primordial stampede to be the first to exit the aircraft from Rome?
- What if my music computer was searched as it was in Rome?
- What if I bought that Nikon?
- What if Susie & I had chatted a few seconds more or a few seconds less at any given point?

Chances are the outcome would have been the same: we would have been seated on an 18-hour flight to NZ and lots of beautiful things would have come out of it. But as each of those actions kicked in, life's highway came up to an unexpected "Exit" in Dubai.

Each one of those steps raises a potentially unlimited number of variables that is impossible to calculate.

And of course add to this already complex equation the variables associated with the lives of any other person transiting at the airport - including the employee of the year who had the bright idea to wash the restroom with people in it and no warning signs - and you have a frightening, yet beautiful result:

Life.

Life changes direction with every step we take (at times even literally!).
Life is beautiful because no matter what happens you are in a position to pull out the best and see the best in others.
Life dignifies us with being able to decide how to deal with a situation no matter what it entails.
Life is a unique gift because you never know what happens next., but we have the freedom to try to make it happen, whatever it may be.

Time for some lemonade from all these lemons and to make some beautiful music. Who needs a piano anyways when you can write it all in your head? :D

C!

JOKE OF THE DAY

2010-12-01T18:20:00.002+01:00

This, me believes, is most appropriate...

A man runs into the vet's office carrying his dog, screaming for help.
The vet rushes him back to an examination room and has him put his dog
on the examination table.
The vet examines the still, limp body and after a few moments, tells
the man that his dog, regrettably, is dead.
The man, clearly agitated and not willing to accept this, demands a
second opinion.
The vet goes into the back room and comes out with a cat and puts the
cat down next to the dog's body.
The cat sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, poking and sniffing
the dog's body and finally looks at the vet and meows.
The vet looks at the man and says,
"I'm sorry, but the cat thinks that your dog is dead, too."
The man is still unwilling to accept that his dog is dead.
So, the vet brings in a black Labrador.
The lab sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, and finally looks at
the vet and barks.
The vet looks at the man and says,
"I'm sorry, but the lab thinks your dog is dead too."

The man, finally resigned to the diagnosis, thanks the vet and asks
how much he owes.
The vet answers, "$650."
"$650 to tell me my dog is dead?" exclaims the man.
"Well," the vet replies, "I would only have charged you $50 for my
initial diagnosis.
The additional $600 was for the cat scan and lab tests."

The Beatles on iTunes

2010-11-18T11:06:00.004+01:00

Until yesterday, the only band that was missing from Apple's iTunes music store has now been included. Not some unknown indie band. Just the Beatles!

There's lots of cool content on Apple's website: videos, history & more. Even if you don't like the Beatles, they're cool to watch if not for the fact that they're so... ancient! :D

Enjoy!

HOW MASSIVE IS THE GOOGLE?

2010-10-12T12:26:00.003+02:00

Thought this 'infographic' was quite interesting...
(Click on the image if you see it's chopped).
C

Infographic by computer school.org

MUSICIANS - SMARTER THAN THE AVERAGE?

2010-07-30T19:38:00.004+02:00

Don't think so!

But according to a recent paper published on Nature Reviews Neuroscience, musical training has a profound impact on other skills including speech and language, memory and attention, and even the ability to convey emotions vocally.

Guess I have no excuses to learn Chinese!

Click here to read the full article.

COMPOSER QUOTES - HANS ZIMMER & DANNY ELFMAN

2010-07-09T08:58:00.003+02:00

Couldn't sleep last night so I started browsing through some old print outs and found a couple of interesting quotes I got from interviews posted on apple.com years ago.

Talking about his time in the Oingo Boingo rock band, Danny Elfman (Spiderman, Edward Scissorhands etc.) recalls: "The rock band gave me the arrogance to follow my own instinct, whether I failed or not. I'm grateful for that attitute, because it's the fear of failure that makes mediocrity. And without fearing that, I was able to find my own voice."

And here are a three interesting quotes from an old interview Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, Angels & Demons, Sherlock Holmes etc.) did for Apple:

"I have to be able to say something through the music. Otherwise it's not worth doing."
"The first few movies I worked on, inevitably everything I did was thrown out. And then less would be thrown out, and then it got better. I don't know how I got better understanding of the language of film. It wasn't anything anybody could teach me. You just instinctively get control over such a beast and learn how to speak it's language."
"There is less talent out there than I thought there was. I thought there were millions of people who were absolutely gorgeously brilliant and just were never listened to. But in my own subjective way of listening to thousands of demos, I came back more with the impression that there isn't really that much talent out there."

CONCORSO PER I FANS SU FACEBOOK

2010-04-19T22:06:00.004+02:00

Questo concorso e' riservato soltanto per chi segue la mia musica sulla pagina FACEBOOK.

PREMI
Potete vincere uno dei 7 CD "ACOUSTIC VISIONS" - un belissimo CD che include una delle mie composizioni che e' entrata nelle finali del MIMA AWARDS in Germania e altra musica rilassante!

I vostri amici riceveranno un download gratuito di uno dei miei brani se vi aiuteranno!

COME PARTECIPARE
Chiedete ai vostri amici di...

Visitare http://bit.ly/freemusic_it
Riempire il modulo
Specificare il vostro nome nella sezione "Comments" (cosi' so che li avete mandati voi!)

Il vostro nome potra' essere estratto se almeno 10 dei vostri amici vi aiuteranno. In cambio, loro riceveranno un download digitale di uno dei miei brani - in maniera totalmente gratuita!

Contatatte tutto il vostro network e potreste vincere un bellissimo CD! Partecipate entro DOMENICA 25 APRILE (mezzanotte).

3, 2, 1... Piano!

Ciao!

Christian
http://www.calcatelli.com

PS
I vostri amici non sono in nessun modo obbligati a registrarsi alla mia newsletter gratuita. Riceveranno un download (del valore di EUR 0.99) soltanto per il loro supporto nell'aiutarvi a vincere il CD. Una sorta di regalo da voi e me a loro - ci dovrebbero amare di piu' per questo, no? ;)

FREE CD CONTEST FOR FACEBOOK FANS ONLY

2010-04-19T21:11:00.010+02:00

THIS CONTEST IS FOR FACEBOOK FANS ONLY! WIN A FREE CD FOR YOU & A FREE DOWNLOAD FOR YOUR FRIENDS!

WHAT YOU & YOUR FRIENDS CAN WIN
You can win one of 7 signed copies of "ACOUSTIC VISIONS" - a beautifully packaged digipak CD that includes one of my tracks from the German MIMA AWARDS finals plus other great relaxing piano music.

Your friends receive a free download track (valued at $0.99 in iTunes) just helping you out!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Just get 10 of your friends to:

Go to bit.ly/freepianotrack
Fill out the form
Write your name on the "Comments" field (so I link them to you).
That's it - they will receive their track within 24 hours

Once 10 friends get back to me, you become eligible to win one of the 7 free CDs.

The contest expires on SUNDAY APRIL 25 (midnight).

3, 2, 1... Piano!

Ciao!

CC
http://www.calcatelli.com

NEED SOME IDEAS TO INVOLVE YOUR FRIENDS?

COPY & PASTE THIS ON YOUR WALL (OR EDIT AS YOU PLEASE):
Get a free piano music download from Christian Calcatelli a pianist whose music I really like & help me get a free CD! Fill out the form on http://bit.ly/freepianotrack and put my name under the "Comments" section. Before Sunday, please!

Your friends are not forced in any way to sign-up to my free newsletter. They get a free download just by helping you out - that's a $0.99 gift from you & me to them! We're so nice they should love us for it!

On Commercial Space Flight...

2010-03-26T13:12:00.005+01:00

Virgin Galactic succesfully completed another test flight, getting closer to its goal of taking people up to space - commercially.

If you're interested in booking a flight to space, please pay $200,000 which includes the ride and at least three days worth of training before you're blasted out of the planet.

Sounds like a lot? Guess what? If you're a millionaire... it's peanuts.

According to CNN, about 80,000 people have placed their names on the waiting list for a seats.

I'm guessing that if you put your name on a waiting list you've actually got the megabucks to pay for it.

My weak math skills tell me that there's a potential $16.000.000.000 in the air. (read - 16 BILLION dollars)

Nice, eh?

Now consider this:

According to the World Food Programme, one euro ($1.30) – the price of a cup of coffee in Italy – is enough to feed a child through school for one week.

WFP calculates that US$3.2 billion is needed per year to reach all of the
66 million children who attend school hungry across the developing world. US1.1 billion will allow us to reach 22 million children in Africa.

I think you can draw your own conclusions on this one.

It reminds me of a speech by Kennedy that conluded with these words:

"Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it! And the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there! And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked".

Er... what about EARTH?

;)

C!

P.S. Drop me a note if you want to hear this historical speech set to (my) music!

FINISHED READING ALICE IN WONDERLAND

2010-03-14T07:21:00.004+01:00

Just finished reading "Alice in Wonderland" & its sequel "Through the looking-glass" by Lewis Carroll... Loved it!

I guess that those who translate these books into other languages must be really skilled since they are packed with witty word play that defies all common sense.

Useless to say - Wonderland is a great source of inspiration for a musical work - my first impression was writing music for a ballet!
Send me an email or post a comment if you can see a specific scene or character you'd like to hear my music for!

All in all, I found they're really entertaining - a good read if your brain works well with imagining odd worlds where anything can happen and where dialogues burst into humorous nonsense. "The Looking-Glass" is especially filled with ridiculous word play that reaches a climax in the final court trial.

It reminded me that people should never judge adults who are "creative" - or even worse: criticize kids who actually USE their imagination, creativity and fantasy... After all, Carroll was 30 when he wrote this story!

And if you think about it, where do all children's silly cartoons & songs come from at the end of the day? The "beautiful" brain of some person with enough creativity to dream up alternative worlds, invent the weirdest characters (think along the lines of Mr. Disney who at age 27 create THE Mouse!) and who make the most original drawings.

(Incidentally, the books are covered by awesome illustrations made by "Sir" John Tenniel - apparently the top illustrator of his day who today is only remembered for - you guessed it! - his 'Alice' artwork. He drew it when he was nearly half a century old!!!)

The books were full of interesting characters, each one wonderfully weird in their own way. Starting of course from Alice herself who "...generally gave herself very good advice though she very seldom followed it) and sometimes scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes...". All the way down to the eerie Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, proud Humpty Dumpty, Tweedledum & Tweedledee and a ton of other ones!

Another interesting point: the stories that we often see in movies & cartoons actually merge characters and plots from both books (Disney's 'Alice' does that too). Which makes me curious to see what Tim Burton comes up with.

All in all, a good read! I'm sure people with more brains that I've got can find hidden meanings in all the characters & story development. I say: It was written for a kid - take it as such & have a good laugh while you read it, perhaps with a cup of tea - you will be attending a Mad Tea Party, after all! :)

QUOTABLE QUOTES
"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here"?
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where" said Alice.
"The it doesn't matter which way you go"
(Cheshire Cat to Alice)

------------------------------------------

"If everybody minded their own business, the world would go round a deal faster than it does" - The (Duchess to Alice)

-------------------------------------------

"In our our country, you'd generally get to somewhere else if you ran very fast for a long time, as we've been doing" said Alice.
"A slow sort of country: said the Queen. "Now here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place! If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
(Alice & the Queen, after 'running' to nowhere)

------------------------------------------

"Life, what is it but a dream"
(The last words of the book)

FIVE COOL WEBSITES (music-related & non)

2010-01-05T07:53:00.007+01:00

Here's some interesting sites I came across in 2009. A few are music-related, others are just cool things you can find out or order over the web. Enjoy!

J.S. BACH - THE WELL TEMPERED KLAVIER
I love the WTK! Among one of the most prestigious classics of keyboard literature, this amazing work includes Preludes & Fugues in every single key. This site breaks down everything that is going on during each piece in an intuitive & visual way. These works are like beautifully executed complex architecture and this site.... like a manual to help you figure it out!

EUROPIC ART - GET YOUR VERY OWN VAN GOGH!
So you walk in a museum and fall in love with a van Gogh. Or a Warhol. Or a Monet.
Or any work from an unkown painter!

If this economy hasn't allowed you to stash away 500 million dollars (or more) to buy one of these masters' original works of art, try the back route: order an oil painting reproduction from China.

Although generally not a lover of replicas, I used Europic Art's services in 2009 for some pop-art Warhol reproductions. The alternative would have been a printed poster, so I figured this would be a more "artistic" solution. The quality is amazing, the prices extremely cheap. And Jack Lee - the boss - is a one man customer service powerhouse! I was really satisfied. (I actually interviewed him and will be posting it soon!). Essentially, any painting you love can be accurately replicated and is shipped to you straight from Xiamen, a Chinese region known for its oil painting activities!

NUMBERS & DATA
This website displays loads of "live" statistics on essentially anything that can be measured - births, deaths, blogs posted today (including this one!), toilet flushes etc. - and displays them as live rolling numbers... Check it out if you have a few minutes to waste.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS
If you're bored of Amazon's 'hip' book solutions (i.e. offering things that everyone else is buying) and are looking for alternative books & publications, check this website out. Among other things they carry the best (& cheapest) music scores - solo piano, orchestral... you name it.

The music scores are often reprints of old original editions (like the authoratitive Paderewski edition for Chopin, one of the best; or 'Peters' for Bach's works) but they are really high-quality and engineered to stay nice & flat when you're playing from them.

And if you don't play an instrument but you still like to "look" at & read music while listening to it, their editions are the best!

As a suggestion, once you find a book on this site, search for it on Amazon as it's often cheaper.

THE CLOUD APPRECIATION SOCIETY
If you know me just a little, you know that clouds are among my top three sources of inspiration.

The guys at the "Cloud Appreciation Society" love clouds as much as I do. Maybe they're a little extreme in saying in their manifesto that they "fight blue-sky thinking... because life would be dull if we had to look up at cloudless monotony day after day."

I personally find beauty also in a beautiful blue blanket.

BUT

I won't argue that clouds - in all of their shapes colors & forms - are an incredible work of art & creation!

*****
That's it for now! Enjoy!

CC

THE FUN THEORY - WALKING ON A PIANO

2009-11-07T14:43:00.003+01:00

A very cool video form the VolksWagen "Fun Theory" initiative.

Everything you do becomes a statistic

2009-10-27T07:26:00.004+01:00

WORLDMETERS.INFO is a cool website that keeps track of world statistics updated in real time. Sort of, at least.

The site works with a complex algorithm that processes the latest statistics available from reliable data sources (which include several UN agencies, the World Bank and more) and creates an estimated progression which is displayed on swhirling counters.

As of this writing then, 120,080 babies were born today. 120,165 now. No... 120,241...
Ahh! Where are all these babies coming from?!?!?

On the other hand, 52, 611 people have died.

The "SOCIETY & MEDIA" section includes several interesting numbers like new books published this year (823,930), Email messages sent today (A number that my secular education doesn't permit me to identify) and several others.

Other interesting stats comes under the "ENVIRONMENT"heading which picks upthe tons of CO2 emissions this year, species that have gone extinct this year (number is fortunately still at 113,789) and forestable land lost.

Check it out. I guess it's a simple reminder that anything you do (or don't do) has some indirect implications on this Earth, which will eventually impact some statistic or another.

Seeing these numbers makes me happy I chose a PRIUS and that my next CD will be published on Ecological Recycled paper. Register on my site to find out when it'll be out!

Ciao!

CC

P.S. Sounds like a joke but as I finish this blog, the world just flushed the toilet more than 7 billion times this month. And yes numbers are accuratly based on... (it's NOT a joke!!!) the WTO - the World Toilet Organization! :)

avantGRAND - A new piano by YAMAHA

2009-09-28T12:59:00.003+02:00

Right when you thought that "everything-under-the-sun" status was reached by the glorious pianoforte, you discover that genious engineers of YAMAHA invented a hybrid piano with a very cool name: AvantGrand.

As you may already know from previous blog posts, I'm a huge YAMAHA piano fan. So I thought this news was really cool. Many people I've recently spoken to look down on Japanese grands, hailing German brands at a much higher level.

From the piano's official site comes this great statement: "Rather than designing from a standpoint of what a piano must be, we gave priority to looking at what it could be, searching for the kind of instrument that would suggest a new direction for the piano".

Japan demonstrates once again that it's way ahead in the game of re-thinking of innovation. Look at the TOYOTA PRIUS

There's sound samples on the site, but I think it would be great fun to test it out to its limits.

Hmmm.... Japan - here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I'm told that one of the two models costs a whopping $19,000 (less than a CFIII Concert grand, though)

HOLIDAYS - ITALY, SWITZERLAND & FRANCE

2009-07-01T12:48:00.012+02:00

And just as they started, they ended...

Our holidays have come & gone.

But boy were they memorable.

Our road trip of 4296 Kilometres (i.e. 2700 miles) took us from Italy to France via Switzerland, passing through all sorts of unforgettable sceneries: from sea-level all the way to 3883 meters in altitude; from snowy mountain peaks to hidden crypts deep below the ground; from tranquil, garden-like paradises to the sounds & noises of century-old metropolitan carriages...

We walked over majestic glaciers and in mysterious forests; strolled across beautifully chaotic cities and through eerie empty villages; relaxed at sunsets over river bends and dreamed with sunrises over ancient fortresses; climbed ancient rocks and stared at age-old horizons.

We gazed at the genius of mankind through strokes of paint and carvings in stone; marvelled at the creativity of a single ink line that turns into a breathing image; and we remembered where it all comes from.

We crossed bridges (paying high toll fees...) and flat roads (with even higher toll fees...) and drove across white roads through corn fields (free - no fee!).

We sped through the night chasing lightning; glided during the day trying to capture the light; gazed at the clouds when blindingly white and threateningly black; dangled at the mercy of the winds over the emptiness below us and jumped high in the air before getting our tired feet back on the ground.

We laughed. We talked. We thought. We dared. We created. We loved. - We lived.

****

Not bad in two weeks time, right?

LOL

CC

The coast at Etretat, in Normandy (France)

Bend of the Seine - Les Andelys, France

Nympheas at Monet's Garden - Giverny, France

Menacing cloud - Somewhere in France

Majestic MatterHorn - Zermatt, Switerland

IS GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS GOING TO SUE ME?

2009-04-10T09:17:00.005+02:00

Hopefully not!!!

A few days ago I was "kindly" notified by the Guinness World Records (GWR) Legal Office that I'm infringing the official GWR trademark logo by posting it on my official music site.

Fair enough I guess.

At least they were kind enough to notify me without suing me first (which is exactly what would have happened had it been an Italian company! LOL)

What is weird is that I can't even post a personal scan of MY official certificate which reads:

"The longest solo music internet broadcast was performed by Christian Calcatelli who played piano for 60 hrs 1 min in aid of the Calx Project, at the Galleria Alberto Sordi, Rome Italy, on September 15-17, 2004"

Oh, after a few back and forth emails I discovered that:

1) I can post a picture of myself holding the certificate (duuh)
2) I can pay 1.500 GBPs (=$2.200) to license the logo. For three months. Hmm.... Kind of expensive!

So, as I promised the legal office, the logos are coming off today.

If you're reading this post on April 10, you may have a chance of seeing them for one last time.

LOL...

Don't forget to listen to some of the music improvised during this 60 hour event. It's amazing that time has since passed so quickly. But as time passes, music remains. Go now - listen up!

I'll tell you what: Sign up to my newsletter within the next 3 days only and I"ll give you "A Broken Record 1 & 2 for free"

3 days only.

Ciao!

CC

WHAT DO DO IN CASE OF AN EARTHQUAKE

2009-04-07T11:53:00.004+02:00

Earthquakes in Abruzzo. Villages wiped out. Aftershocks in Rome. I evacuated from a building today...

I can't but help at this point to extend my research into finding out what the best action plan is when there are earthquakes in the air... (or should I say... in the ground?).

I found this interesting article, which you may want to read - no matter where you are in the world. It's from the Southern California Earthquake Center, so I'm pretty sure they know what they're talking about. They talk about the international "Drop, Cover and Hold On" method for making it through an earthquake.

In essence, this is what you need to remember:

DROP to the ground
take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture;
and HOLD ON on until the shaking stops

Check the article out.

FEMA, America's Federal Emergency Management Agency has some useful guidelines as well:
On this link, you have good insight into what you should do if you're indoors, outdoors, in a car or under debris. One general golden rule? Don't light that candle: gas may be in the air!

Additionally, FEMA offers an unusual list of things you can do "before" an earthquake strikes.

Remember that 99% of the times you don't know it's coming, but there are simple things you can do to minimize damage and - most important - increase chances of survival.

It boils down to simple, practical things like not hanging a painting over your bed (may look nice but has been proven to cause migraine headcaches when it drops on your head!); keep delicate and breakable items in low cabinets (why would you put your china where you can't even reach for it anyways, right?); keep dangerous chemicals in closed, separated places (it helps to prevent ka-ta-boum boums!)

Read the complete list here and, other than doing some damage-prevention, you'll probably clean up your house and go for a clutter-free minimalistic look.

I say this of course with a touch of humour, but don't forget how serious the situation can be when disaster strikes.

And if you can't help with money or time, download the free music track (top right) "Whispering Thoughts"and send your positive thoguhts out there!

Ciao

CC

More Earthquakes? What's Happening? New shock in Rome

2009-04-07T11:45:00.003+02:00

Just had to evacuate the building at 11:43 after a 3 second jolt, which followed a new shock in Abruzzo.

It's a weird feeling, and kind of leaves you empty inside and a little light headed.

It was the same feeling I had when I experienced an erathquake here in Rome a few years ago. That time, though, the walls were actually shaking. Not nice...

Poor people in Abruzzo!

HOW MANY EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN EVERY DAY?

2009-04-07T11:03:00.004+02:00

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) there have been (as of this writing) 21 earthquakes above magnitudo 5 on the Richter scale SINCE THE 1st of APRIL!

The latest of these was actually a 6.9 (it hit harder than the Central Italy earthquake) on the Kuril Islands. If you have no clue where these islands are, join the club - that's probably why we haven't even heard about it. (In any case they're off the coast of Japan).

The truth that I gather from this report is that the majority of these strikes happen in remote areas and often don't cause any damage or harm.

It reminds me that the Earth is indeed alive & throbbing - just in the wrong places, at times...

ITALY EARTHQUAKE: AQUILA AND ROME

2009-04-07T10:47:00.004+02:00

According to an article by Rome Today, a mild earthquake hit the northern part of Rome this morning (local time) at 1:15 am.

I didn't feel anything, because I live at the outskirts of Rome, down South.

The registered magnitude was 4.8 on the Richter scale. No damages, but lots of fear.

As far as the Abruzzo quake is concerned, local news reports have criculated these recent stats:

the death toll to have risen to 179;
100 people have been pulled out alive from the rubble;
1500 are wounded;
more than 1 billion euros worth of damages

ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE - "NORMAL FAULTING"

2009-04-06T16:20:00.003+02:00

According to USGS (US Geological Survey) technical data, the Abruzzo earthquake"occurred as a result of normal faulting ... in the central Apennines, a mountain belt that runs from the Gulf of Taranto in the south to the southern edge of the Po basin in northern Italy. Geologically, the Apennines are largely an accretionary wedge formed as a consequence of subduction. This region is tectonically and geologically complex"

Hmm... "normal" faulting seems to have disastrous consequences.

According to a newsflash report from ANSA, Italy's prime news agency, certain areas have been completely destroyed, case in point being the villages of Onna and Paganica. This is where the majority of victims seem to have been identified. These cities are described as having been scratched away.

In Aquila, Abruzzo's capital city, there is massive damage in the historical center, where Churches and buildings having suffered at high levels.

The problem, I guess, is that these places have buildings so old that it was like a staged accident waiting to happen. In a way, buildings like these give Italy their charming looks that all tourists love to see. But it's this very "Italian" feel that is probably the country's greatest liability.

Not that that matters at this point in time, as the official death toll rises at 92 (but will surely increase I'm afraid) and more than 45/50.000 people are expected to remain homeless.

Click here for some chilling images from one of Italy's news reports.